XII

"Ma," Sully yelled, "it's Mister Adam!"

Adam tied his horse to their small picket fence. He noticed that it needed painting and that a few pickets had come loose, their nails posing a hazard to the two small boys; there were still cases of lockjaw from farmers or children stepping on old, rusty nails. Adam made a note that he would have to tell Alicia about the threat so that she could have it fixed.

Alicia's two boys came running to him and Adam stooped as they both wanted to grab his neck and hug him.

"Give me ride," Timmy said.

"No, me," Sully begged, shoving his brother slightly.

"How 'bout I give both of you a ride?" and Adam grabbed both boys around their waists, one in each arm and stood up with one boy under each arm as if they were sacks. They laughed delightedly at being carried horizontally.

"Well, I see you have your arms full," Alicia said, standing on her porch but she didn't smile. A few people were passing on the sidewalk and Alicia knew that in a few hours, practically every gossipy woman in Virginia City would know that Adam Cartwright, who had married the "hussy" from San Francisco, had visited her. Then they would conjecture what the visit meant. Did it mean that Adam regretted his decision and came to tell Alicia that he still loved her? Was that woman Adam brought back not really his wife but a courtesan and Adam was still going to ask Alicia to marry him? There were so many possibilities that the women and quite a few men would have enough to talk about for months.

There had been speculation about the new Mrs. Adam Cartwright, especially if she actually was, ever since the stage had pulled in at the depot and the two had debarked. Adam had actually kissed her in public so the observers assumed she was a trollop and of all the Cartwrights, it would be Adam who would bring one home and try to pass her off as his wife. Then, after taking down the luggage, Adam had left his "wife" sitting outside the depot while he went to hire a buggy from the livery.

The men passing by had tipped their hats to Sophie and she had acknowledged their politeness with a small smile and a slight nod. But a few had stopped to talk to the depot master and yes, he said, the woman had arrived with Adam Cartwright and they were married. At least that's what Adam had told him when he left her on the front bench to go hire a buggy.

Well, the men conjectured, that meant that Adam's family didn't know he was arriving or they would have been there to meet the newlyweds. And then the men made crude remarks to one another about a woman that succulent living with all those men and they snickered and slapped each other on the backs when a vulgar joke was made about Ben and the other two boys helping themselves to "leftovers" from Adam's "plate." Sophie could hear their laughter and it made her uncomfortable and she wished that Adam would hurry and return; she felt that the snickers and such were about her.

A group of women had gathered, a way off outside the general store, and discussed the situation and its ramifications. They judged Sophronia's clothes—a bit too fancy for Virginia City, they decided and were those real feathers and pearls on her hat? And her traveling suit looked like fine worsted. Another woman added to the conversation, "Just because Adam sent that wire telling his father he was bringing home a wife doesn't mean she is. Maybe she's nothing more than a fancy woman."

"That would be just like him. At his age and only now married and you know how his tastes in women run."

"Yes. He has been seen patronizing those houses of ill repute. Why my husband said that he saw one of the saloon girls sitting on Adam's lap about a month ago—shameless, just shameless!" And although their tongues wagged in criticism, they found the whole idea rather titillating, remembering how Adam would tip this hat to them and smile and if they were fortunate, they would receive a quick wink. Adam Cartwright was the source of many a heart-palpitating, cheek-flushing reaction among the women of Virginia City who often fanned themselves after his attention to them.

And then, "Poor Alicia" was said in turn by all, tsk-tsking about men and their urges. And each one wondered if they should tell Alicia about the woman's arrival although they were sure she knew for Ben had been elated when he received the wire and told everyone that it had finally happened—one of his sons had married and was bringing home a bride!

Alicia watched Adam walk the path to her porch.

"I have two bundles here. What shall I do with them? Drop them down the well?" The two boys feigned being afraid.

"Not the well, Adam," Sully said.

"No, not well," his little brother said following suit.

"Just put them down, Adam." He did and stood waiting. For some reason he felt as if he was going to be chastised by a school marm.

"But we want to be thrown down the well," Sully whined.

"Don't use that tone, Sully. Now you two go out back," Alicia said. "Mister Adam I have something to talk about." The boys reluctantly went around the side of the house to the back, glancing over their shoulders at their mother and Mister Adam. Their mother had been behaving oddly lately and over the past month, whenever they asked her where Mister Adam was and why he was gone so long, she told them at first that he was away on business and then, after the news of Adam's marriage, she snapped at them when they mentioned his name and the boys would look at one another and slink away.

"Well, Adam. I'm surprised you bothered coming by. Does your wife know?"

"Actually, yes, she does."

"And she doesn't mind?"

"If she does, she hasn't said." Adam still stood on the steps, his hat in his hand.

Alicia looked around at the passersby and didn't want to give them anymore fodder for gossip. "Come in, Adam. How about some coffee?"

"All right," Adam said and followed Alicia through her house to the kitchen where he sat down at the small table and placed his hat down. Then he waited while Alicia poured them both a cup of coffee and sat down.

"I hear she's very beautiful," Alicia said. "Your wife, that is."

"Well, I think so," Adam said, smiling slightly. He had tried to predict how Alicia would react to the news and this was more or less it.

"Some people are saying that she's not really your wife, that she's just a whore you've brought back to pass off as your wife. I don't think that of course, but that's what some people are saying. I just thought you should know."

"Well, I'm glad you don't believe it," Adam said, "because it's not true. Sophronia is my wife and I wanted to tell you myself. I should have written you, I suppose or come to see you sooner—it has been troubling me and I have been putting it off in case I had hurt you. I know everyone thought we had an understanding, you and I, and I suppose in a way we did, but….I just wanted you to hear it from me."

"Well, you're too late. I knew only a few hours after your father received the wire from you and then, well, after she arrived, I knew almost immediately. News travels very fast when one lives in town. But answer me one question," Alicia said. "If I had gone with you to San Francisco, would it have made a difference?"

Adam sighed. He didn't know whether to tell her the truth or not but decided that it was best that he did. "No, Alicia. I don't think that things would have ended up any differently except that you would have had to watch it happen."

Alicia gave a small laugh. "Well then I'm glad I didn't go. I want to say that I hope you and…what's her name?"

"Sophronia—Sophie."

"I want to wish the two of you much happiness but I can't be that gracious yet. I hope that soon I'll be able to do so. In the meantime, I wish you'd leave now."

Adam stood. "I'll go tell the boys goodbye." Adam reached for his hat.

"No," Alicia said. "Just leave."

Adam nodded, turned, and looked out the back window. He could see Sully pushing Timmy on the swing that he had made for them. He turned back to her. "Alicia, please don't make them hate me." But she just coldly looked at him. "And one other thing—there are some loose pickets on the fence out front and the nails are sticking out. It's a danger to the boys."

"That's not your business anymore, is it?" Alicia said.

"I guess not but the fence still needs fixing." Adam stood feeling awkward. He waited a few moments for a response but Alicia said nothing more so he nodded slightly and left the house.

Adam untied the reins of his horse, looked back once more at the small house, and mounted. He kicked the horse into a light canter. He badly wanted Sophie and he was eager to get to her and her welcoming arms. He could already smell her skin and feel the yielding of her mouth against his.

"Hurry up, boy. I've got a pretty filly waiting for me."

TBC